While initially leaked from the back of an artbook cover, publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly have officially announced that Total War: Warhammer is in fact real and is currently in development. While a simple press release might suffice, an announcement trailer has been released that might be one of the best cinematic takes on the Warhammer universe.
For those unfamiliar with the brand or only heard of the Warhammer 40,000 series of games, Warhammer is the fantasy equivalent that originated as a tabletop game by Nottingham-based Games Workshop. Warhammer will mark the Total War series' first journey into the fantasy realm and as the developers describe with new rules and at a scale yet unimagined.
The game is said to include the series turn-based campaign mode that sounds more brutal than before as players will fight to survive in the Old World, which is described as an unforgiving land of conflict. This game will also be the first in a trilogy of titles around the Warhammer universe with two standalone installments and content packs planned for development after its initial release. Total War: Warhammer Project Lead Ian Roxburgh described their development approach:
We’ve always loved the Warhammer universe, and couldn’t wait to approach it with the same colossal scale and authenticity that has characterised our titles for the last 15 years. We’re bringing it to life in a way that nobody’s attempted before.
No release date has been provided yet for Total War: Warhammer, but I'm guessing we'll learn more about the game at the upcoming E3 Expo in June.
